Workshop on Scholarship in the AI Age: Exploring Generative AI in Academic Research

Explore insights from the two-day workshop on scholarship in the AI age, focusing on generative AI in academic research and critical thinking.

The Centre for Software and IT Management (CSITM) at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), in collaboration with the Association for Information Systems (AIS) – India Chapter, inaugurated a landmark two-day workshop on scholarship in the AI age. The event brought together scholars, doctoral students, and educators to critically examine how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping academic research practices, scholarly identity, and the broader culture of learning.

The workshop on scholarship in the AI age for academic researchers commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, followed by opening remarks from Prof. Mayank Kumar, Chairperson of CSITM at IIMB. Prof. Kumar contextualized the workshop by highlighting both the transformative potential and inherent challenges of AI in academic settings. “AI is increasingly embedded in teaching, learning, and research, yet its role in scholarship must be examined critically rather than accepted unquestioningly,” he stated.

Prof. Kumar emphasized that the workshop aimed to provide a platform for scholars to critically engage with questions of responsible AI usage, preserve academic agency, and uphold the core values of scholarship in an era dominated by automation and generative technologies.

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AIS India Chapter Highlights Commitment to Scholarly Dialogue

Welcoming participants on behalf of the AIS India Chapter, Prof. Sujeet K. Sharma, President of AIS India Chapter and Dean (Research) at IIM Nagpur, outlined the chapter’s journey since its inception in 2016. He reiterated its commitment to fostering a vibrant scholarly community through workshops, conferences, and sustained collaboration, encouraging participants to actively contribute to ongoing conversations beyond the workshop.

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Balancing AI Adoption and Human Agency

In the welcome address, Prof. Shankar Venkatagiri, Chairperson of the Information Systems area at IIMB, stressed the importance of a balanced approach to AI adoption. He encouraged scholars to leverage large language models for suitable tasks while maintaining human oversight in critical thinking, interpretation, and intellectual responsibility.

This perspective aligns with the growing recognition that generative AI in academic research and critical thinking seminars can enhance productivity, but uncritical reliance risks undermining scholarly rigor.

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Keynote Address: Beyond the Script – GenAI and the Changing Landscape of Scholarship

The inaugural keynote, titled “Beyond the Script: Performativity, GenAI, and the Shifting Stage of Scholarship”, was delivered by Prof. Rahul Dé, Former Faculty at IIMB’s Information Systems area and Founder & CEO of Memoric AI. Prof. Dé provided a theoretically grounded critique of the increasing role of generative AI in academia, framing scholarship through the lens of performativity theory.

He described the academic as a performer on a scholarly stage, navigating teaching, research, and administration, while generative AI assumes the role of a prompter—always present, influential, yet traditionally unseen. Prof. Dé highlighted that excessive reliance on GenAI could accelerate a “publish-or-perish” culture, pushing scholarship towards speed-driven, fragmented, and instrumental practices.

Key Risks of Uncritical AI Use in Academia

Prof. Dé identified three major risks associated with indiscriminate AI use:

1. Infantilisation – Scholars risk abdicating independent thinking by over-relying on algorithmic outputs.
2. Reductionism – Faculty and students may become predictable tool-driven actors, eroding intellectual struggle.
3. Totalisation – AI systems may influence academic norms and identity beyond specific tasks.

By linking these risks to Judith Butler’s performativity theory, he argued that repeated AI-mediated practices actively shape scholarly identity. When AI moves from assisting to “performing,” the boundary between human judgment and machine guidance begins to blur.

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Advocating Responsible AI Use

While recognizing that GenAI adoption is inevitable, Prof. Dé stressed that responsibility, agency, and control must remain with human scholars. He proposed several alternative pathways:

• Collective resistance to excessive publication pressure
• Emphasis on problem-driven research rather than purely output-driven metrics
• Protection of learning spaces where human struggle, fallibility, and judgment remain central, particularly in doctoral education

Prof. Dé concluded by reminding the academic community to celebrate human effort and discernment while consciously moderating machine-assisted outputs: “The prompter may assist, but it must never come on stage.”

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Workshop Sessions and Interactive Dialogues

Throughout the two-day workshop on scholarship in the AI age for academic researchers, participants engaged in discussion-driven sessions covering:

• Ethical implications of AI in research
• Designing responsible AI-assisted scholarship
• Integrating generative AI into research workflows without compromising academic integrity
• Exploring AI adoption in scholarship and research practices workshops

Panelists encouraged active engagement, critical questioning, and sharing of best practices, ensuring participants left with actionable strategies to maintain scholarly rigor while benefiting from AI technologies.

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Expert Insights on Generative AI and Scholarly Practice

Academic experts emphasized the necessity of viewing AI as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement for human intellect. Prof. Dé highlighted studies indicating that early AI adoption in universities can increase research efficiency by up to 30%. However, unchecked reliance may reduce critical reasoning and intellectual autonomy, underscoring the workshop’s focus on reflective, responsible engagement with AI.

The workshop also spotlighted how academic dialogue on GenAI impact in higher education research can inform policy, curriculum design, and institutional norms. Participants explored methods to incorporate AI tools responsibly while fostering a culture that values human insight, creativity, and scholarly judgment.

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Implications for Doctoral and Early-Career Scholars

For doctoral students and early-career academics, the workshop underscored the importance of cultivating independent thinking while integrating AI responsibly. Sessions highlighted strategies for using AI in literature reviews, data analysis, and manuscript drafting without succumbing to algorithmic dependency.

Experts advised:

• Maintaining intellectual responsibility by verifying AI-generated outputs
• Emphasizing problem-driven research over mechanistic production
• Encouraging reflective practice to preserve scholarly identity

These measures aim to ensure that AI supports rather than supplants critical human faculties.

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Future Directions and Recommendations

The CSITM IIMB AI scholarship workshop insights for doctoral students point to several future directions for academia:

1. Development of guidelines for responsible AI use in research
2. Integration of AI literacy in doctoral training programs
3. Creation of collaborative platforms for scholarly exchange on AI adoption
4. Promotion of cross-institutional workshops and seminars to share best practices

Prof. Dé’s insights highlighted that AI should enhance the academic experience without compromising ethical and intellectual standards.

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Conclusion

The workshop successfully facilitated a reflective exploration of generative AI in academic scholarship, emphasizing both its potential and associated risks. By foregrounding responsibility, agency, and critical thinking, participants were encouraged to engage with AI thoughtfully, preserving the essence of scholarly endeavor.

This event underscores the necessity of ongoing conversations in academia about the role of AI, ensuring that human effort, discernment, and intellectual struggle remain central to scholarship in the AI age.

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10 FAQs on Scholarship in the AI Age

1. What is the focus of the workshop on scholarship in the AI age?
   The workshop explores how AI reshapes academic research, critical thinking, and scholarly identity.
2. Who inaugurated the scholarship in the AI age workshop?
   CSITM at IIMB, in collaboration with AIS India Chapter, organized the two-day event.
3. What topics were covered in the keynote by Prof. Rahul Dé?
   The keynote addressed GenAI in scholarship, performativity theory, risks of AI overuse, and responsible academic practices.
4. How does generative AI impact academic research?
   AI can increase research efficiency but may risk reductionism, infantilization, and influence on scholarly identity if uncritically used.
5. Who were the main participants of the workshop?
   Scholars, doctoral students, and educators from multiple institutions attended and engaged in dialogue-driven sessions.
6. What are the key recommendations for responsible AI adoption in scholarship?
   Emphasize human oversight, problem-driven research, reflective practice, and collective resistance to publication pressures.
7. How can doctoral students benefit from AI in research?
   By responsibly using AI tools for literature reviews, data analysis, and manuscript drafting while maintaining intellectual autonomy.
8. What is the significance of AI in higher education research workshops?
   These workshops guide scholars to integrate AI ethically while preserving academic agency and core scholarly values.
9. Are there guidelines for integrating AI into academic research?
   Workshops recommend AI literacy programs, cross-institutional collaboration, and ethical standards for GenAI use.
10. What long-term effects does AI have on scholarly practice?
    Properly integrated, AI can enhance productivity and innovation; uncritical adoption risks undermining human judgment and creativity.